1 Nepal is one of the oldest kingdoms on earth. Its history is rooted in its location between two influential countries--India and China. The influence of these countries, and that of Nepal's Asian and Middle Eastern neighbors, has helped to shape Nepal's cultural, political, and religious life. In fact, one of the region's most influential leaders was born in Nepal.2 For most of Nepal's history, the Kathmandu valley has been the cultural and political center of Nepal. Its fertile soil made it good for farming, so this land has been populated since Nepal's earliest days. The valley's location along a trans-Himalayan trade route brought some wealth and much cultural influence to the area.3 Among some of the early inhabitants of Nepal were the Tarai, who primarily lived in eastern Nepal. A Tarai prince born in 563 BC would ultimately leave his princely duties behind and become a god, quite literally. This prince's name was Siddhartha Gautama. Gautama gave up chasing after worldly possessions to search for spiritual truth. In doing so, he gained the name "The Enlightened One," or Buddha. Buddha, as you can probably guess, is the head of the Buddhist religion. Buddhism was the primary religion of Nepal for hundreds of years, until around 200 AD.